The Most Sacred Vow
by Hazelspirit
Summary: Meggie and Farid love each other. They are engaged and plan to marry soon. But when their lives take an unexpected twist, it will change them...for better or for worse. Farid X Meggie; rated K plus for some mild language.


xx** Disclaimer;; **I own NOTHING. My name's not Cornelia Funke, is it? Nope. But I do own my plot, and any random characters that I make up and decide to throw in there. So yeah, read and review, please! xx

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**Meggie's POV**

Meggie felt horrible.

Her stomach ached terribly, and she had almost constant nausea. Her feet felt huge and awkward because of strange swelling. She felt really bad…not to mention her emotional pain, too.

Meggie's fiancée, Farid, had been gone for what seemed like forever. He had gotten a job working with fire for a local circus. It paid pretty well, since he was their best act, but unfortunately they had to go on tour. Farid had tried to ask his boss if he could stay behind…but his boss simply told him that if he didn't go, he would be fired for good. He'd refused to even consider that as an option.

Farid was still getting used to Meggie's world, even after living there for a few years. He didn't know much about which jobs there were, and what he was good at in her world. He didn't have a lot of choices since he hadn't gone to college. So he had decided to try to find a job doing what he did know he was good at: playing with fire, just as Dustfinger had taught him. And that circus job was the only way he could do that and get paid a reasonable amount of money.

Meggie had been working for a bookstore, which paid well, too, but not as well as her fiancée's job. That is, until recently, when Meggie began feeling really sick. She had taken a few days off to rest and try to regain her strength.

Now she sat at home in her comfy armchair, a book and a warm blanket spread over her, wondering about her husband-to-be.

_He's been gone a month, _she thought miserably. _I know he said he'd be back soon last night on the phone, but…really. A whole month! _Meggie sighed. _That's way too long for a person to be without her true love, her soul mate…_

A loud noise interrupted her thoughts. Meggie looked toward the front door, surprise written clearly across her face. The doorknob was shaking violently, as if someone was trying to come in.

Meggie's thoughts raced in her head. Who could it be? Who would just try to barge in? Meggie wanted to get up and look through the peephole, but she knew her exhausted legs and aching back wouldn't like that very much.

Suddenly, a key clinked in the keyhole. Meggie's heart leaped into her throat. The door opened, and something fell to the ground with a loud thump.

Then she heard the most beautiful sound ever.

"…Meggie?"

It was Farid…he was home! Meggie let out tears of joy as she struggled against her body's warnings of pain and flung herself off the couch. She scuttled down the hall towards the front door, wearing out her swollen feet, where her soon-to-be husband was standing, looking as handsome always.

Farid wrapped his strong arms around Meggie. She breathed in deeply, taking in his wonderful scent, trying to imagine how she had ever managed to live without him, even for a short while.

Farid chuckled, and kissed her hair. "I've missed you," he murmured. "So much,"

Meggie gazed up into his dark brown eyes, so warm and full of love. "I've missed you, too…every single day." She whispered.

Farid smiled, which made Meggie's heart melt. He ran his hands down her sides carefully, as if inspecting her for any harm.

"You seem…tired. And sick," Farid said finally, looking at her with worry shrouding his dark chocolate eyes.

"You guessed it," Meggie replied, smiling weakly. "I've taken off work for like a week already…but this just doesn't seem to be easing up much."

Farid shook his head. "I should have come home earlier…I got home as soon as they would let me…" He looked at her, guilt written all over his face. "I would have taken care of you,"

Meggie smiled. "I know you would have, and you still can," she raised her eyebrows. "I'm still sick, you know."

Farid flashed his wide, bright smile, the one she loved to see. Meggie grinned back, so happy to be with him again, finally…

"You need to rest," Farid told her firmly. "You'll never get better walking around the way you are."

"Okay…but don't leave me, alright?" Meggie muttered, exhausted. She rested her head on her fiancée's strong shoulder.

Farid smiled quietly. "I promise, Megs…I wouldn't leave you for the world." He paused, picking up her small body in his powerful arms so quickly, yet gently, that Meggie hardly knew what was happening. The next thing she knew, she was back in her armchair, laying across Farid's lap, leaning against his chest with the blanket draped over her. They leaned back in the chair, and Farid wrapped his arms around her.

"You sleep, and I promise I'll take care of you till you get better," Farid whispered into her ear. "In sickness and in health…"

"Till death do us part," Meggie whispered, barely audible. But Farid heard, and she could tell by his happy, contented sigh.

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**Meggie's POV**

Meggie slept fitfully that night. Whenever she woke up, sweating, with another wave of nausea crashing over her, she found Farid's arms still wrapped tight around her, as if he could protect her from anything.

Finally, the sun did rise, and Meggie awoke feeling better rested than she had in a while, but still tired. She yawned, and gazed around, blinking. Suddenly, she realized that her fiancée was no longer sleeping next to her.

Meggie wanted to call out for him, but he gave her no time to. Farid walked in, holding a plastic tray holding pancakes drizzled in warm maple syrup and coated in butter, with some sausage and eggs on the side, cooked just how she liked them. A glass of freshly squeezed orange juice was in his other hand, filled almost to the top.

He set the tray gently on her lap, which was still covered in the blanket, and he set the glass on it along with the other things. Then he looked at Meggie and flashed her his wide grin.

Meggie's heart could have melted right out of her chest. She grinned back at her fiancée.

"Farid, you didn't have to…" Meggie replied, her voice scratchy and rough. She swallowed a few times, trying to clear her throat.

"But I can, and so I did." Farid answered, still smiling. "Enjoy…and tell me if there's anything you need." He paused. "Oh, and I called the doctor. He'll just check you out and prescribe you a medicine…" he said this awkwardly, because he wasn't used to having doctors be so common and there be so many medicines and cures for illnesses. "…So you can get better soon. I don't want you to suffer any longer. We'll leave in a few hours, so you can keep resting for a while."

Meggie drank a sip of her orange juice. It tasted so much better knowing that Farid had made it just for her. "…Well, alright. Hopefully I can get back to work soon." She replied.

"Don't you worry about that," Farid told her, walking over to stand beside the recliner she was sitting in. "I've got things covered. I called my boss, and he told me that since we did so well on tour, I can have a few days off. And they're paid days off, too!" he grinned, as if he'd never heard of such a thing. Of course, that's because he hadn't.

Meggie returned the grin. "That's great, Farid!" she said, her voice still a little rough.

Farid's happy expression changed to worry, but only briefly. He rubbed her back. "Drink all of your orange juice, and eat everything on your plate," he told her. "I found out that orange juice helps to strengthen your…im-moon system…or something like that…and you need food to help fight your sickness."

Meggie smiled at his mistake, and took a small piece of one of her pancakes with her fork. Farid sighed, and smiled.

"Come sit with me," Meggie said, chewing and swallowing. She moved over to allow him some room.

Farid nodded, still smiling, and climbed over the seat to settle himself next to her.

"Eat well," he murmured, breathing in the scent of her golden blonde hair.

Meggie turned her head slightly, looking into his warm, dark chocolate eyes.

"I will," she said, and leaned forward to meet her lips with his. They kissed for what seemed like an eternity, and then finally they broke apart.

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**Farid's POV**

Farid grabbed the car keys off the kitchen table. He had learned how to drive not long after he had been read into Meggie's world, and he loved doing it. It sure beat riding a camel around everywhere, and it didn't stink, that was for sure!

He held the front door open for Meggie as they walked out to the car, and he helped her down the steps, as her feet were still big and swollen.

Farid locked the door, then opened the passenger side door for her and helped her in. He got in and settled himself on the other side. Slipping the keys into the ignition, he started driving down the street towards the hospital.

He heard Meggie sigh and turn to look out the window. Farid gawked at his fiancée; staring at her beautiful hair and smooth skin…he had to struggle to pry his eyes back to the road.

Finally, though, they made it to the hospital. They checked in, and after only a short time of waiting, they heard Meggie's name called. Farid grabbed Meggie's hand, and she smiled weakly up at him. They stood and went into a little examining room just down the hall from the waiting area.

Farid held his fiancée's hand as a nurse checked her blood pressure, heartbeat, reflexes, ears, eyes, and everything else the nurses in her world examined.

"Have you ever had any surgeries, operations?" The nurse, Nurse Elizabeth, asked when she had finished, pulling out a clipboard with some papers on it.

"Once, when I was 10, on a broken leg bone," Meggie answered quickly, shifting her gaze to Farid. He smiled comfortingly back at her.

Nurse Elizabeth wrote something on her clipboard. "Alright, so do you have any allergies?"

"Well…pollen, occasionally, in the springtime…" Meggie told her, still gazing at Farid.

Nurse Elizabeth nodded, wrote something down, and then looked up. "Okay. Last question; do you take any medications?"

"No, besides a daily vitamin," Meggie said.

"Alright," Nurse Elizabeth said, writing something, and then she set her clipboard aside. "I'm going to ask you to change into one of our gowns." She bent down and pulled open a drawer, taking out a blue paper gown with long white strings in the back. She set it beside Meggie on the examining bed.

"And I'll need you to sit outside for a minute, Mr. …" Nurse Elizabeth trailed off, flipping through the papers on her clipboard.

"I don't have a last name," Farid told her, standing up. "But when Meggie and I get married, we decided to go by her last name, Folchart." He smiled, first at the nurse, then at Meggie, who returned the gesture.

The nurse raised an eyebrow at Farid, but she didn't ask questions. Scribbling something on her clipboard, she said, "Well, okay, the doctor will show you in when he's finished." She walked towards the door, ushering him out.

"See you in a little," Farid told Meggie, releasing her hand regretfully. He left the room, with the nurse right behind him. Finding a seat in one of the cushy chairs outside, Farid stared absentmindedly at the white walls and the few paintings of cats and children that hung on them.

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**Meggie's POV**

Meggie sat on the examining table, wearing the short little blue paper gown, waiting nervously for the doctor to come back in the room. Doctor Hayes had just examined her, feeling her stomach and feet, testing how her legs moved and how straight her back was, and taking a urine sample.

Meggie knew it was all standard procedure, but still…there was something about the look on Doctor Hayes' face while he was checking her over that made her feel anxious. He had asked her if she wanted Farid to come back in to hear the diagnosis, and she'd agreed. Now her fiancée was leaning against the table she sat on, one arm around her waist protectively, staring at the tiled floor.

Meggie felt eternally grateful for the security and comfort he brought her as they heard the tapping of Doctor Hayes' black leather shoes coming down the hall towards their room.

Opening the door, Doctor Hayes stepped in, holding a folder and some paperwork. Meggie's heart was thudding crazily, and she could Farid's grip on her waist tighten, the muscles in his arm flexing anxiously.

But Dr. Hayes was smiling. "The urine sample just came back from the lab," he said, setting the clipboard down on the counter and shifting through some papers. "So I have some news for you."

_He has some news for me?_ Meggie's thoughts raced. With the doctor's back turned, and voice neutral, she couldn't tell if it was good or bad. _Oh, I have a terrible illness, I just know it …he was smiling just to be comforting…oh, please, please, no…_

Dr. Hayes turned around, beaming at Meggie and Farid.

"Ms. Folchart, you're pregnant."

**AN: Oooh! Wowsers. Betcha didn't see that coming. Okay, so maybe it was a little obvious ;] So yeah, please review. I basically live off reviews. This is my first Inkheart story, and I really love Farid X Meggie, so yeah. Oh, and btw, I'm fourteen, and I've never had any children, so I just guessed how it would go down at the doctor's office. Sorry if it's not 100% accurate. Thanks! **

**Peace,**

**x x Snowy x x**


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